Laser sensor measures surface profile of key blanks

Paul Boughton
A specialist manufacturer of security keys is using high precision laser displacement sensors from Micro-Epsilon to measure the surface profile of key blanks prior to the production process.

Special processing units are required for the manufacture of security keys. During the production process, a permanent change between the key blanks takes place. Aumat specialises in the production of such keys. The processing units that are used to produce the key blanks rely on high-performance optoNCDT 2200 series laser sensors from Micro-Epsilon.
 
During the inlet of the different key blanks, the individual processing data is loaded from a database. Prior to production, the unit verifies if the blank is appropriate for the data in the unit. Therefore, a laser sensor traverses in the opposite direction to the key blank in order to achieve a profile of the surface of the blank. If the profile corresponds to the reference data, the key blank is released to be processed further.
 
Reliable acquisition of data on shiny or matt metal surfaces, as well as a high spatial resolution, is of special importance to the customer. Due to operational speeds, a measuring rate of 10kHz is required. Furthermore, a large base distance is also of important due to the mechanical design.

Due to its reliable performance measurement, Aumat decided to apply the optoNCDT 2200 laser sensor with a 10mm measuring range. The sensor achieves the required measuring rate of 10kHz, while also offering accurate, reliable measurement data results due to an integrated real time surface compensation (RTSC) feature.

The optoNCDT 2200 laser displacement sensor offers extremely high accuracy, high measuring rates and excellent signal stability, without any signal averaging. These sensors are world leaders in terms of their technical capabilities, enabling them to solve the most demanding measurement applications. The digital output signal can be combined with the IF2008 PCI card (also designed and supplied by Micro-Epsilon) to synchronise multiple sensors at high measuring speeds for easy data acquisition direct to a PC.

For more information, visits www.micro-epsilon.co.uk